TOWN OF COATS Board of Commissioners May: 11, 2017 OFFICIAL MINUTES  ABSTRACT  Ar regular scheduled meeting of the Board of Commissioners: was held on May 11, 2017  ini the Board of Commissioners' meeting room at Coats Town Hall.  II. ROLL CALL  Mayor Walter Weeks, Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Beasley, Commisioner/CAlen, Commissioner John Raynor, Commissioner Allen Mosby, and Commissioner Chris Coats  were in attendance. Attorney Al Bain was present.  III. CALL TO ORDER  Ad quorum being present, Mayor Weeks called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. Mayor Weeks delivered the invocation and led those in attendance ini the Pledge of  Allegiance.  Amendments to the Agenda: Informational Items.  New Business- Remove item D. Request from Coats Senior Center. Manager & Committee Report - Add item B. Update on BB&T. Add item C.  RESOLVED, to accept agenda as amended.  MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER CHRIS APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM. JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  COATS  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  IV. APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA  RESOLVED, to accept Consent Agenda.  Page 1 of8    MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER ALLEN APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  MOSBY  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  V. OLD BUSINESS  A. Update on Upset Bid Process on Cell Tower Lease  Mr. Cole stated that everything has been satisfied with the cell tower lease. Town Clerk, Karen Wooten, will advertise the Upset Bid Process on 5/12/17 and the 10-day Mayor Weeks added that we have the approved. agreement and have the check on hand sO everything is ready to go with the Upset Bid Process. We will advertise the information on the current bid and if there is an upset bid, it will start the process RESOLVED, to authorize Karen Wooten to move forward with advertising for the MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER CHRIS APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  bid process will end on 5/22/17.  again until there is a final bid.  Upset Bid Process on the Cell Tower Lease.  COATS  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  B. Update on Property Closing on Lemon Street  Al Bain informed the Board that the Town now owns the Lemon Street properties. The only work that still needs to be taken care ofi is obtaining title insurance for these properties. Mayor Weeks stated that we could proceed.: with moving toward the development of the building to go on that property while we are working on obtaining that title insurance. Mr. Bain confirmed that this is correct and the title insurance is just to protect the Town in case there were any errors made during the  purchasing process.  C. Consider Sealed Bid on 243SMcKinley Street Property  Kenny Cole informed the Board that we accepted sealed bids on May 1, 2017 for the old Library property. We received one bid in the amount of $10,000. The land value on the GIS is about $33,000 for slightly less than half an acre. (Reference #1)  Page 2of8    RESOLVED, to turn down the bid and keep the property for at least a year while MOTION BY: MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM. JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  other options are considered.  RAYNOR  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  D. 2017-18 Proposed Budget Presentation  Kenny Cole presented the 2017-18 Proposed. Budget and shared the following  highlights:  No increase in property tax. $1,800 merit pay for full time employees. 5.7% decrease in health insurance premiums. 23% decrease in worker's compensation premium. $0.40 increase to our base water rates.  Increase in bulk: water purchased from Harnett County, which will equal to a $4,000 decrease in property tax due tot the revaluation by Harnett County. Town of Coats overall combined fund budgets totals $1.7 million General Fund: Revenues and expenditures: balanced at $1,018,439 Water Fund: Revenues and expenditures balanced at $405,425 Powell Bill Fund: Revenues and expenditures balanced at $70,000 Solid Waste Fund: Revenues and expenditures balanced at $214,071 Cemetery Fund: Revenues and expenditures balanced at $2,275  (Reference #2)  Mayor Weeks asked Police Chief Jeremy Hall to introduce the Coats Police Departmentsnew interns before proceeding with the meeting. Jeremy Hall introduced Ms. Eakes and Ms. Haverlock, who are Criminal, Justice students at Campbell University. Ms. Eakes and Ms. Haverlock are observing the Board meeting and have also been observing in the Police Department. Mayor Weeks gave Ms. Eakes and Ms. Haverlock an opportunity to speak or ask the Board questions. Both ladies stated that they are here to learn and shared their future  plans.  E. Orange Street Water Easement  Mr. Cole reminded the Board that at the March 2017 meeting, he and Rodney discussed with the Board a better access to our Orange Street water tank. Last  Page 3of8    meeting, Mr. Cole spoke to a gentleman from the Williams Family Cemetery and he has agreed to give the Town an easement across their property to access the water tank. At that time, our Attorney, Al Bain, and the Board requested a letter from the family stating this agreement. Attached is the requested agreement giving the Town The Board and Mr. Bain discussed getting a formal easement agreement written up. Mayor Weeks suggested accepting the goodwill of the Williams family and that this be viewed as an offer to allow us to cross the property rather than turning this into a formal easement at this time. He suggested that we not consider the word "easement" a legal term in this agreement, but simply a term meant to allow us to RESOLVED, to authorize Mayor Weeks to sign on behalf of the Town this agreement MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER CHRIS APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM. JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  an 8' utility easement.  cross the property for our use. (Reference #3) that would allow us to cross their property.  COATS  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  F. Confirm Budget Work Session Date and Time this meeting - to award the Solid Waste bid.  Mr. Cole stated that the next Budget Work Session is set for May 17, 2017 at 6:00 PM. He also informed the Board that he will have another item on the agenda for RESOLVED, to have a called meeting on May 17, 2017 at 6:00 PM in order to have a Budget Work Session and to consider accepting the bids for the Solid Waste MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER CHRIS COATS, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER. JOHN APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  contract. RAYNOR  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  VI. NEW BUSINESS  A. Special Employee Recognition  Chief Hall recognized. our Lieutenant, Kenneth Storicks, who was awarded from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education Training and Standards Commission an  Page 4 of8    Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate. In order to earn this certification, he was required to put in many hours oft training outside of his in-service hours.  B. Renewal of Certificates of Deposits  Town Clerk, Karen Wooten, presented to the Board the two CDs that are maturing in the month of June. One of them is in our General Fund and it is presently in First Citizens Bank at 0.1%. Our Water Fund has the other CD, $126,000, at Select Bank for 12 months at 0.05%. As always, she requested quotes from each of the banks  and this is what she received back:  First Citizens Bank - 12 months at 0.05% or 13-60 months at 0.1% Select Bank - Only interested in accepting the CD currently at their bank. 12  months at 1.2%  Capital Management Trust-. .59%  Ms. Wooten did not receive quotes back from any other banks. She recommends renewing at Select Bank with the Water Fund money at 1.2% for 12 months and she personally recommends moving the money that is presently with First Citizens Bank to the North Carolina Trust account that will probably get. 59% or higher oroneor  two points lower. (Reference #4)  RESOLVED, to go with Ms. Wooten'srecommendations.  MOTION BY: MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  RAYNOR  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  Appoint Board Member to Sign Checks  Ms. Wooten informed the Board that we are currently set up to require two signatures on checks from the Town. Presently, Mr. Cole and Ms. Wooten are signing the checks, but with Mr. Cole leaving after May 19th, they felt there needed to be someone else appointed to sign checks. Ms. Wooten will continue to sign, but will need an additional person to sign checks. At the present time, any time Mr. Cole or Ms. Wooten is not available, Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Beasley has always assisted in signing checks. Ms. Wooten requested that the Board make an official appointment  of who that person would be sO that it would be on record.  Page 5of8    Mayor Weeks stated that this could be a Board member or another employee. Ms. Wooten asked the Board to consider Deputy Clerk, Julie Clifton, to be the third signer if needed and have one oft the Commissioners be the second signer. RESOLVED, to follow Ms. Wootemsrecommendation for third signer and have Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Beasley appointed as the second signer. MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER ALLEN MOSBY, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  RAYNOR  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0): D. Budget Amendment  Ms. Wooten presented a Budget Amendment concerning the purchase of the property on Lemon St. She has been dividing our expense for this property out of the Water Fund and General Fund. We need a budget amendment to show where this money was and that we have this in the budget. (Reference #5) RESOLVED, to approve Budget Amendment #5 as submitted.  MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER CHRIS APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  COATS  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  VII. MANAGER UPDATES  A. Public Works Director, Rodney Pleasant, presented Public Works stats from the  month of April. (Reference #6)  Mr. Cole shared with the Board that our Library Director, Rebecca DallaMura, is resigning on May 26th, We have hired two new employees in the Library, but they Chief Hall presented Police Department stats from April 3rd. - May 11th. (Reference  were not able to attend the meeting tonight.  #7)  Page 6 of8    B. Update on BB&T  Mayor Weeks spoke to Randy Weaver with BB&T. Mr. Weaver told Mayor Weeks that the decision to close the Coats branch was based on many factors. Letters notifying current Coats BB&T customers that the bank will close in 90 days will be sent out in the morning. He also shared that Mr. Weaver stated that the ATM will not remain at that location. Mayor Weeks shared that there are other banks  interested in coming to our community.  Informational Items  Mayor Weeks stated that he was approached many times at the Spiritual Unity Day this past Saturday with high praise for the Public Works staff and Police Department Mayor Weeks attended an event called Impact Greater Fayetteville discussing a study about the potential impact oft troop reductions at Fort Bragg. He broughta copy of the study for anybody who would like to look through it.  staff.  VIII. PUBLIC FORUM  Mayor Weeks opened the Public Forum.  Pat Godwin with the Coats Area Chamber of Commerce informed the Board that someone has agreed to donate a Christmas tree to Coats and they are, going to come to plant iti in early November. Ms. Godwin invited Mr. Cole to come back to Coats to light Ms. Godwin also shared that the Chamber is working very hard to find a buyer for the bank building. She has found someone who is interested, but she is waiting to see what  the Christmas tree in December.  BB&T will allow.  IX. CLOSED SESSION  RESOLVED, to conduct a closed session pursuant to: N.C.G.S 143-318.11, (a)(1) - Approval of Closed Session Minutes N.C.G.S1 143-318.11, (a)(6) - To consider the qualifications, competence, performance, character, fitness, conditions of appointment, or conditions of initial employment of an individual public officer or employee or prospective public officer MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY  or employee BEASLEY  Page 7of8    APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  Moved into closed session at 7:54 pm. Returned to open session at 9:00 pm.  RESOLVED, to appoint Connie Sorrell as Interim Town Clerk, effective immediately, MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER JOHN RAYNOR, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER CHRIS APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM: JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  at a rate of $20/hour, not to exceed 29 hours/week.  COATS  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS. All present voted in the affirmative. Clerk, Connie Sorrell. (Reference #8)  NOES (0):  Mayor Weeks presented the Oath of Office to the newly appointed Interim Town  X. ADJOURN  RESOLVED, to adjourn at 9:04 PM.  MOTION BY: COMMISSIONER ALLEN MOSBY, SECOND BY: COMMISSIONER, JC ALLEN APPROVED: AYES (5): MAYOR PRO-TEM JERRY BEASLEY, COMMISSIONERS ALLEN,  MOSBY, RAYNOR, AND COATS.  NOES (0):  MA Deputy Clerk  Walter Weeks, Mayor L  AA  Page 8 of8